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Legendary singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen dies at 82

Leonard Cohen, the prolific poet, novelist, songwriter and performer, has passed away at the age of 82.

The singer's label, Sony Music Canada, confirmed his death on Facebook on Thursday evening.

"We have lost one of the music's most revered and prolific visionaries," the post said, urging privacy for Cohen's family.

Cohen, who was revered as a songwriter by the likes of James Taylor and Willie Nelson, is perhaps best known for his hit "Hallelujah," which has been covered more than 300 times. His most recent album, You Want It Darker, came out in October, and Cohen was clear he intended it to be his last. In a lengthy interview with the New Yorker, Cohen shared he was "ready to die."

"I hope it's not too uncomfortable," Cohen said. "That's about it for me."

In what many see as a time of intense darkness — no doubt made darker by Cohen's passing — it might be useful to seek solace in some of his words: "There is a crack in everything / that's how the light gets in."